Spacious living areas and numerous upgrades make this exceptional family home ready for move-in. A sun-drenched living room with gleaming hardwood floors and picture window views is the ideal place to greet family and friends. Wonderful kitchen space features cabinet and counter space galore, new wall oven, gas cook-top, dishwasher and refrigerator. The sunny breakfast nook with patio access is a great place to start your day. Step downstairs into the huge family room offering all the space you need for relaxing and enjoying good times. Three generously sized bedrooms with hardwood floors and large windows are perfect for a good night’s rest. Awesome backyard with mature trees and a covered patio for grilling and chilling will certainly make your next BBQ a hit. Pack your bags and come on over. We are sure you will want to stay.

Holly Norton has distinguished herself as a leader in the Saint Clair County, IL real estate market. Holly assists buyers looking for Saint Clair County, IL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Saint Clair County homes for sale.

Holly brings with her a keen eye for the details of buying or selling a Saint Clair County, IL home and seemingly boundless determination and energy, which is why her clients benefit from her unique brand of real estate service. Rooted in Tradition, Focused on the Future – Holly will help make the most of your Saint Clair County, IL real estate experience. Give her a call today, 618-779-9966, and discover the difference she can make during your family’s move.

Many of us select plants for the garden at our Saint Clair County IL home based on their visual effect—color, height, size of blooms, etc. And so we should, as the sight of our plantings should be pleasing to our sense of sight. As we plan our garden, however, we should also be aware of the other four senses—and include plants which appeal to each of them.

SMELL: Aromatherapy is a powerful practice. With nothing more than a simple scent, the brain can be triggered to remember long forgotten memories, emotions, and feelings. With that being said, it is important to carefully select the flowers you want in the garden of your Saint Clair County IL home. With a few simple choices, you can create your own “memory lane’ or relaxing oasis. In terms of fragrance, it’s hard to beat roses or lavender. Wisteria and jasmine are scented climbers which can really enhance the sensory pleasure of a garden, and amaryllis belladonna and spirea both add pleasant scents.

SOUND: Few of us associate the sense of sound with our garden, but the rustling of long grasses and the chirping of birds add a much-appreciated dimension. To attract songbirds, use fruit-bearing understory trees like dogwoods and service berries and shrubs such as viburnums and hollies and introduce low growing perennials and dwarf shrubs like creeping juniper and cottoneaster. You can also plant vines, ground covers, and sunflowers to increase chirping and tweeting.

TOUCH: Texture in garden design refers to the surface quality of the plant. Plant textures range from delicate and fine to coarse and bold. The feel of the foliage in your Saint Clair County IL home’s garden is not the only element of texture, however, as the texture can change with the play of light and shadow and even with viewing distance. Plants with thread-like leaves call out to be touched, so consider adding cosmos, baby’s breath, asters, and grasses. In addition, iris and lamb’s ear will each provide softer tactile experiences.

TASTE: The world of herbs is nearly without limits. Think about basil, chives, rosemary, chamomile, cilantro, mint, and parsley, to name just a few tasty garden additions. Consider, too lowbush blueberries or ligonberries. Lesser known, but equally valuable as salad additions are the flowers of the hibiscus shrub, columbine, and daylilies.

Some of the plants you have selected for your garden will serve more than one purpose and will appeal to more than one sense, so be sure to sniff, feel, taste, listen to, and view each of them!

There were 1,932 Saint Clair County, IL homes in June 2012, according to RealtyTrac.com. The average sales price of a Saint Clair County, IL home was $131,923 in June, while the average sales price of a Saint Clair County, ILforeclosure home was $72,284, a $59,639 savings.

Saint Clair County, IL Foreclosure Activity and 30 Year Interest Rate

The interest rate on a 30 year mortgage was 3.68% in June and there were161 new foreclosures.

Foreclosure activity is based on the total number of properties that receive foreclosure filings – default notice, foreclosure auction notice or bank repossession – each month. Interest rate is based on the average 30-year fixed rate from Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey.

Saint Clair County, IL foreclosure activity is falling. The number of Bank-owned properties increased from 20 properties in May to 48 in June, while the number of Auctions dropped from 13 to 11. Pre-foreclosure activity dropped from 146 homes to 102 homes.

Are you or someone you know behind on mortgage payments and facing a Saint Clair County, IL foreclosure? You do have options. A short sale may be the answer to saving you, your family and your home. Give me a call for a private consultation.

Unfortunately, selling your Saint Clair County IL home in the current real estate market can be both difficult and frustrating. As much value as you may feel your home has, the current conditions might say differently. In this buyer’s market, accurate pricing of your homeis imperative in getting your property sold quickly and for the best price possible. While this might sound simple enough, correctly pricing your property is far from easy and is a decision which requires time and effort on your part. The following tips should help make the pricing process a smooth and beneficial one for you.

Do your research: It’s important to know what other homes in your area are selling for right now in order to get an idea of a price point for your own property, but you shouldn’t rely on that alone. An Automated Valuation Model, better known as an AVM, is a web-based technology that immediately generates home values based on data analysis of recent area comparable sales, tax assessments and price trends. Click here for free sites.

Find the right Realtor: Hiring the listing agent who quotes you the highest price isn’t always wise. Interview at least 3 Realtors familiar with the area around your Saint Clair County IL home and choose the agent who supports a suggested price with comparative market data. It is the job of your Realtor to know the current market and market trends inside and out, to be closely connected to the real estate market at large, and to be aware of other properties currently for sale in your particular neighborhood.

Cast emotions aside: It’s important to remain as realistic and objective as possible when pricing your property. Although your home will most likely be invaluable to you, focus on the statistics from your research and on the advice given to you by your real estate agent for a satisfactory sale.

Avoid overpricing at the outset. Because your property has the best chance of selling within its first seven weeks on the market, the longer it stays on the market, the less it will ultimately sell for. In addition, you will lose out on savvy potential buyers who won’t even come by to look, and fewer knowledgeable Realtors will preview your Saint Clair County IL home. Lowering your price later will only result in delays and suspicions that something is wrong with the property.